Fail-safe convection oven assembly

Abstract

An oven assembly having a housing enclosing a cooking compartment and a blower compartment, and having a blower for circulating air within the cooking compartment, a door mounted to the housing, and a failsafe switch that is capable of deactivating the blower when the door is opened beyond a set point in the range between at least about 10% to 50%.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An oven assembly comprising: a housing enclosing a cooking compartment and a blower compartment, and having a means for circulating air within said cooking compartment;   a door mounted to said housing; and   a failsafe switch that is capable of deactivating said means for circulating air when said door is opened beyond a set point in the range greater than about 10%, but not open enough for said blower compartment to be accessible by an operator.   
     
     
       2. The oven assembly of claim 1, wherein said set point is at least about 40%. 
     
     
       3. The oven assembly of claim 1, wherein said failsafe switch is selected from the group consisting of pressure-sensitive switches and magnetic switches. 
     
     
       4. The oven assembly of claim 1, wherein said failsafe switch is a double action switch. 
     
     
       5. The oven assembly of claim 4, wherein said failsafe switch also controls a light in said oven. 
     
     
       6. The oven assembly of claim 4, wherein said failsafe switch also controls a heating element in said oven. 
     
     
       7. The oven assembly of claim 1, wherein said cooking compartment and said blower compartment are separated by an air panel. 
     
     
       8. The oven assembly of claim 7, wherein said air panel is a removable wire mesh screen. 
     
     
       9. The oven assembly of claim 1, further comprising stop means to keep said door open to a desired degree less than said set point, to permit efficient cooling without activating said failsafe switch. 
     
     
       10. The oven assembly of claim 1, comprising two doors and two switches, wherein said two switches are capable of deactivating said means for circulating air when one or both of said two doors is opened beyond a set point in the range greater than about 10%, but not open enough for said blower compartment to be accessible by an operator.